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  “Enter the world of Shannon K. Butcher and prepare to be spellbound.”

  —Sherrilyn Kenyon

  Praise for Shannon K. Butcher’s Novels of the Sentinel Wars

  Willing Sacrifice

  “Sizzling love scenes . . . emotionally intense.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “A story of second chances in a world where staying alive is a daily struggle. The reader is pulled into an engaging and suspense-filled story line where a human places a stranger’s life above her own.”

  —The Reading Cafe

  “Throughout a number of Butcher’s previous Sentinel Wars novels, the heart-wrenching drama of Theronai warrior Torr and the all-too-human Grace has been previewed. . . .Their incredible struggles showcase all of Butcher’s exceptional talent for plot, characterization, and storytelling!”

  —RT Book Reviews

  Falling Blind

  “A taut mixture of action and suspense.”

  —Smexy Books

  “Prime entertainment.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  Dying Wish

  “A superb paranormal suspense.”

  —Genre Go Round Reviews

  “Butcher’s rise to the top of the paranormal and romantic-suspense genres has been swift. . . .Her hallmark is consistent superior storytelling that combines emotional punch with high-adrenaline danger—a recipe that can’t miss!”

  —Romantic Times

  Living Nightmare

  “There’s only one way to describe this book to me: fabulous!”

  —Night Owl Reviews

  “[An] action-packed story of the brooding and angry warrior Madoc and his journey to the future. This series rocks!”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “Utilizing her ability to combine excellent characterization with riveting danger, rising star Butcher adds another fascinating tier to her expanding world. You are always guaranteed generous portions of pulse-pounding action and romance in a Butcher tale!”

  —Romantic Times

  “Ms. Butcher’s written word began to grab hold of my imagination and lead me on a ride unlike anything I have read before.”

  —Coffee Time Romance & More

  Running Scared

  “What an entertaining and thrilling series! The characters are forever evolving, secrets are revealed, powers are found, new details come to life, and love is the cause of it all. I love it!”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “Superb storytelling. . . . I am amazed how Ms. Butcher’s intricacies and subplots continue to expand the story without bogging down the overall plot.”

  —Romance Junkies

  “This book jumps right in the fray and keeps you hooked till the end, and I was unable to put it down. Emotionally dark, this is a wonderful blending of paranormal romance and urban fantasy [with] many twists and turns.”

  —Smexy Books

  Finding the Lost

  “Exerts much the same appeal as Christine Feehan’s Carpathian series, what with tortured heroes, the necessity of finding love or facing a fate worse than death, hot lovemaking, and danger-filled adventure.”

  —Booklist

  “A terrific grim thriller with the romantic subplot playing a strong supporting role. The cast is powerful, as the audience will feel every emotion that Andra feels, from fear for her sister to fear for her falling in love. Finding the Lost is a dark tale, as Shannon K. Butcher paints a forbidding, gloomy landscape in which an ancient war between humanity’s guardians and their nasty adversaries heats up in Nebraska.”

  —Alternative Worlds

  “A very entertaining read. . . .The ending was a great cliff-hanger, and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. . . . A fast-paced story with great action scenes and lots of hot romance.”

  —The Book Lush

  “Butcher’s paranormal reality is dark and gritty in this second Sentinel Wars installment. What makes this story so gripping is the seamlessly delivered hard-hitting action and wrenching emotions. Butcher is a major talent in the making.”

  —Romantic Times

  Burning Alive

  “A wonderful paranormal debut. . . .Shannon K. Butcher’s talent shines.”

  —New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh

  “Starts off with nonstop action. Readers will race through the pages, only to reread the entire novel to capture every little detail. . . . A promising start for a new voice in urban fantasy/paranormal romance. I look forward to the next installment.”

  —A Romance Review (5 roses)

  “This first book of the Sentinel Wars whets your appetite for the rest of the books in the series. Ms. Butcher is carving her way onto the bestseller lists with this phenomenal nonstop ride that will have you preordering the second book the minute you put this one down.”

  —Affaire de Coeur (5 stars)

  “Absorbing. . . .Butcher skillfully balances erotic, tender interactions with Helen’s worries, and intriguing secondary characters further enhance the unusual premise. Fans of Butcher’s romantic suspense novels will enjoy her turn toward the paranormal.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Ms. Butcher offers fresh and delightfully creative elements in this paranormal romance, keeping readers engaged as the story unfolds. Burning Alive is a well-crafted beginning to this exciting new series, and will have fans of the genre coming back for the next adventure in the Sentinel Wars.”

  —Darque Reviews

  “An exciting romantic urban fantasy. . . . Shannon K. Butcher adds her trademark suspense with plenty of tension and danger to the mix of a terrific paranormal thriller.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “Burning Alive is Shannon K. Butcher’s first foray into paranormal romance and what a doozy it is! Filled with sizzling love scenes, great storytelling, and action galore, fans of paranormal romance will rejoice to have Ms. Butcher finally join the genre!”

  —ParaNormal Romance

  “A different twist on the paranormal genre. . . . Butcher has done a good job with Burning Alive, and I will definitely be reading the next in the series.”

  —Fallen Angel Reviews

  NOVELS OF THE SENTINEL WARS

  Willing Sacrifice

  Falling Blind

  Bound by Vengeance (A Penguin Special)

  Dying Wish

  Blood Hunt

  Living Nightmare

  Running Scared

  Finding the Lost

  Burning Alive

  THE EDGE NOVELS

  Edge of Betrayal

  Edge of Sanity

  Razor’s Edge

  Living on the Edge

  SIGNET

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 375 Hudson Street,

  New York, New York 10014

  USA | Canada | UK | Ireland | Australia | New Zealand | India | South Africa | China

  penguin.com

  A Penguin Random House Company

  First published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library,

  a division of Penguin Group (USA) LLC

  Copyright © Shannon K. Butcher, 2015

  Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every read
er.

  REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

  ISBN 978-1-101-63535-3

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Version_1

  Contents

  Praise

  Other Novels by Shannon K. Butcher

  Title page

  Copyright page

  Dedication

  Character List

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Excerpt from ROUGH EDGES

  For Glen

  Character List

  Drake Asher: Theronai warrior, bonded to Helen Day

  Briant Athar: Sanguinar

  Connal Athar: Sanguinar

  Logan Athar: Sanguinar, blood hunter, Hope Serrien’s mate

  Aurora: Athanasian servant

  Cain Aylward: Theronai warrior, Sibyl’s protector, bonded to Rory Rainey

  Brenya: Queen of all Athanasia, the Solarc’s wife

  Angus Brinn: Theronai warrior, bonded to Gilda

  Gilda Brinn: the Gray Lady, Theronai, bonded to Angus

  Maura Brinn: Theronai, Sibyl’s twin sister

  Sibyl Brinn: Theronai, Maura’s twin sister

  Canaranth: Synestryn, Zillah’s second in command

  Meghan Clark: blooded human

  Helen Day: the Scarlet Lady, Theronai, bonded to Drake Asher

  Eron: Athanasian prince

  Neal Etan: Theronai warrior, bonded to Viviana Rowan

  Madoc Gage: Theronai warrior, bonded to Nika Madison

  John Hawthorne: blooded human

  Mabel Hennesy: blooded human

  Lexi Johns: the Jade Lady, Theronai, bonded to Zach Talon

  Justice: nomadic woman hunted by Ronan

  Dakota Kacey: the Turquoise Lady, Theronai, bonded to Liam Lann

  Nicholas Laith: Theronai warrior

  Ronan Laith: Sanguinar

  Liam Lann: Theronai warrior, bonded to Dakota Kacey

  Samuel Larsten: Theronai warrior

  Tynan Leygh: Sanguinar

  Lucien: Athanasian prince, father of Jackie Patton

  Andra Madison: the Sapphire Lady, Theronai, bonded to Paul Sloane

  Nika Madison: the White Lady, Theronai, Andra’s sister

  Victoria (Tori) Madison: Theronai, sister to Andra and Nika

  Torr Maston: Theronai warrior, bonded to Grace Norman

  Beth Mays: blooded human, Ella’s sister

  Ella Mays: blooded human, Beth’s sister

  Jake Morrow: human, member of the Defenders of Humanity

  Blake Norman: human, Grace Norman’s stepbrother

  Grace Norman: the Lavender Lady, bonded to Torr Maston, Blake Norman’s stepsister

  Jackie Patton: the Golden Lady, Theronai, daughter of Lucien, bonded to Iain Terra

  Andreas Phelan: Slayer, leader of the Slayers, Lyka’s half brother

  Eric Phelan: Slayer, Andreas’s brother, Lyka’s half brother

  Lyka Phelan: Slayer, Andreas’s half sister

  Rory Rainey: the Amethyst Lady, Theronai, bonded to Cain Aylward

  Joseph Rayd: Theronai warrior, leader of the Sentinels

  Viviana Rowan: the Bronze Lady, Theronai, bonded to Neal Etan

  Hope Serrien: Logan Athar’s mate

  Cole Shepherd: blooded human

  Alexander Siah: Sanguinar

  Paul Sloane: Theronai warrior, bonded to Andra Madison

  Carmen Taite: blooded human, Gerai, cousin to Vance and Slade Taite

  Slade Taite: blooded human, Gerai, cousin to Carmen, brother to Vance

  Vance Taite: blooded human, Gerai, cousin to Carmen, brother to Slade

  Zach Talon: Theronai warrior, bonded to Lexi Johns

  Iain Terra: Theronai warrior, bonded to Jackie Patton

  Morgan Valens: Theronai warrior

  Zillah: Synestryn lord

  Chapter 1

  November 30

  “That woman needs to be restrained or someone is going to get hurt.”

  Joseph did his best to stay focused on what the concerned human parents were saying, rather than on just how much the idea of restraining Lyka Phelan appealed to him. “I’m sure she’s being careful with her lessons.”

  “Our son broke his arm,” said the mother, Joann, her lips tight with irritation.

  “I’ll see to it that one of the Sanguinar heals him.”

  “Lyka already took care of that, but that brings us to the next issue,” said the father, Darren.

  “Which is?” asked Joseph, bracing himself for yet another problem added onto the already impressive pile he had on his plate today.

  His patience had worn thin. His head throbbed and his chest ached with the strain of the magic growing inside him. Unlike the men under his command, who were free to roam, he was usually trapped behind a desk, unable to enjoy the physical exertion of battle. Without even that small outlet, the power he stored within his body continued to build, causing the kind of pain he could have only imagined a few years ago. The one thing that would ease this ache was to find a woman who could wield that power, channel it out of him and free him from it.

  And he sure as hell wasn’t going to find her sitting behind a desk inside a fortified compound, deep in the rural Midwest.

  The human woman sitting across from him tightened her lips until they were bloodless with irritation. “Lyka didn’t even ask us if we wanted one of the Sanguinar treating our son. She had no right to let one of those leeches touch him.”

  Joseph bit back the harsh reprimand that surged behind his teeth at the woman’s use of the derogatory term for the Sanguinar. “When we found your son hovering at death’s door, you didn’t seem to mind the Sanguinar healing him.”

  “That was before we found out what one of them did,” said Darren. “We always knew they were a shady lot, but stealing children? It’s unthinkable.”

  Since word had gotten out that one of the Sanguinar had turned traitor and stolen a human woman and her child to use their lives as a bargaining chip with the enemy, everyone inside the walls of Dabyr had become suspicious of them.

  Every day fewer and fewer humans offered the Sanguinar their blood to help fuel their efforts to heal the sick and injured. An
d every day the Sanguinar grew weaker.

  “We found the traitor,” said Joseph, with as much patience as he could muster. “He’s dead. He can’t hurt anyone ever again.”

  “You found one traitor,” said the man. “For all you know, there could be more of them waiting for an opportunity to strike. They can read minds, you know. Twist your thoughts and make you believe they’re telling the truth.”

  Joseph pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Pain stabbed behind his eyes, and the lighting in his office felt as if it were slicing his retinas. “I understand your concern, but I assure you that Tynan has used all his massive mind-reading ability to ensure that none of his people were working with the traitor.”

  “And you believe him? Our son can’t leave this place. If he does, Synestryn demons will find him and he’ll be as good as dead. This is the only place he’ll ever be safe. That’s what you promised us when we agreed to live here.”

  “Your son is safe here,” said Joseph. “The Sanguinar aren’t going to hurt him.” He’d had this conversation or one just like it a hundred times in the past week. At least that’s how it seemed.

  All he wanted to do was get back to his job. Lead the Theronai in the war against the demons. Keep the humans under his care safe and sound. Calming worried parents was not in his job description, but it was all he seemed to be doing lately.

  “Our son broke his arm,” said the woman slowly, as if Joseph were a small, stupid child. “That’s hardly safe.”

  Most of the nearly five hundred people Joseph housed at Dabyr were reasonable folks. They were grateful for the safety the magically enhanced walls around the compound provided. Unfortunately, these two people had forgotten the hysterical terror they’d faced three years earlier, when their son had been stolen by demons and rescued before he’d been exsanguinated for the traces of magical blood flowing through his veins. They’d forgotten how desperate they’d been at the time, and how willing they’d been to do whatever it took to keep their baby safe.

  But Joseph hadn’t forgotten. He knew what they would face outside these walls, and the fate that awaited their son if Joseph wasn’t able to appease them.

  Synestryn demons wouldn’t care what the boy’s parents thought or felt. All they cared about was draining as much blood as possible from their son before tossing his remains to their beasts to pick his bones clean.